TRIGGER WARNING: When I was growing up there were only two topics you steered clear of in mixed company – religion and politics. Lately, I have discovered that casual remarks about a certain sci-fi movie franchise (which has been part of our collective consciousness for more than 40 years) are just as likely to stir the passions as any conversation about original sin or Donald Trump’s hair.
In this post I will be sharing opinions about the latest installment of said movie franchise. They are, for the most part, unfavorable. If you think you know what movie I’m referring to and loved it, I mean you no harm. It is not my intent to belittle you or your opinion but to use my viewing experience as a springboard for a broader discussion about being a responsible copywriter.
With that in mind, shall we begin?
As the lights came up I felt a mix of relief and sadness; relief that it was finally over but sadness that no one involved with the film seemed to care about story at all. Nothing that had transpired in the nearly two and half hours of dialogue and action moved me in the least. The visuals were lavish and occasionally stunning but they couldn’t fill the gaping void that was the profound lack of substantive content. But that wasn’t the worst of it.
What really bugged me was how this empty experience reminded me of some of my past work. Oh sure, it would be easy to spread the blame for these transgressions. Clients would frequently give me ridiculously short deadlines and very little in the way of input other than, “We need an ad by Monday.” At that point I had a choice. I could press for more input or give them what they wanted – something to fill an ad placement they had already paid for but forgotten to plan for.
Regrettably, I would all too often look at the mountain of work that was on my plate and punt. After all, if the client didn’t seem to care what the ad was about, why should I kill myself trying to create a story for them? I’d string together some superlatives, dream up a flashy headline, and let the designer do the rest. I was a monster.
Occasionally, though, my better angels would prevail and I would press for a more compelling reason as to why an ad should exist other than, “We paid for it.” My client, usually a brand manager who was as harried as myself, would sometimes go back to the drawing board and see what they could do. If they came up empty or simply didn’t have time to rework the input, I’d suggest running an existing ad that had a more compelling story to tell. Better to say something that mattered, even if it had been said before.
Yet, after all this, there were those times when we ended up at the same place we would have had I said nothing at all – flashy headline, superlatives, pretty pictures. There was, however, one very big difference. I slept better that night.
What I’ve come to realize is that being a professional requires more than an ability to satisfy the client’s requests in a timely fashion. It demands a willingness to speak up when you know what they are asking for falls short of what they really need. This doesn’t mean I have to persuade them to see things my way. Nor do I have to fall on my sword of integrity and refuse the job if they don’t. It’s more about due diligence and demonstrating that I’m as concerned about the client’s success as I am my own.
Should we ever get to work together and I question your direction, please know it is not because I fancy myself smarter than you. You most likely will know more about what you need than I do. I’m just trying to make sure you get your money’s worth and I get a good night’s sleep.